Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup helped invent rock ‘n’ roll. His 1946 song “That’s All Right” would become the first single Elvis Presley ever released. And yet Crudup spent his later years working on farms on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. He received scant songwriting royalties because of an exploitative record contract. He died in 1974. The 70th anniversary of Presley’s recording of ”That’s All Right” is Friday. And while Presley’s version is considered a cultural milestone, Crudup has received some recognition in recent years. The bluesman was briefly portrayed in the 2022 biopic “Elvis.” And the state of Virginia plans to install a highway marker honoring Crudup.
